As the voting results from Ballot Question 2 in 2012 show, assisted suicide pits wealthier, whiter districts against those with poorer people and people of color. For long-standing reasons, Black and Latinx people oppose assisted suicide by 2-1 margins. The four most Latinx cities in the Commonwealth – Lawrence, Chelsea, Holyoke, and Springfield – all voted strongly against Question 2. For example, Lawrence, voted 69%-31% no. White working-class and more socially conservative towns also rejected the ballot measure by strong majorities. The state must not adopt one social group’s focus on personal autonomy and status over communities that value above all connection and family.
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